One-piece suit



ONE-PIECE SUI-T Filed March 6, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l 7 INVENTOR f/or a? E 5/7/ as; J)?

ATTORNEY June 20, 1 944. H E'SHKLESJK 2,352,128

ONE-PIECE SUI T Filed March a, 1942 2 Sfieets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ior (e i /l/k/ea; an

a ATTORNEY Patented June 20, 1944 i v UNITED STATES OFFICE ONE-PIECESUIT Horace E. ShiklesJr Kan sas Application March 6,'1942 ,:SerialNo. 433,534

This invention relates'to garments and more particularly. to one-piece suits for athletic and play wear, the principal object of the present invention being to provide a suit of this character; that is constructed in such a manner as to al low free body movements of the wearer without binding and thereby enhancing the wearers sem Other objects of the invention are to provide agarment structure capable of being produced at lower cost and with less material than in garments of the same general character heretofore manufactured; to provide a garment of at tractive appearance wherein any color scheme or trimming may be carried out in the parts making up the body of the garment; to provide a garment structure that is inherently adjustable toseveral sizes and invariable directions so that a manufacturer need make and stock fewer sizes; and to provide improved elements and ar rangemeiits thereof in garments of the'charac ter and for the purposes set forth.

In' accomplishing these and other objects of the invention. I have provided improved details of structure, the'preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherem: r Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a garment embodying the features of the present invention as it appears upon a wearer. Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the garment showing the front shoulder strap disengaged fromthe shoulder tab to facilitate donning of the garment. I

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-section through the garment on the line 33, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similar section on the-line 4--4, Fig. 2. I i Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the interior of the garment illustrating attachment of hip pads therein.

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of a modified form of the invention. r

. Referring more in detail to the drawings, and first to the form of the invention illustrated in Fi s. 1 to 5 inclusive:

' l -designates a garment or suit such as may be worn by basketball players and-which comprises ashirt portion 2, and a trunks or pants portion 3 interconnected with the shirtportion by elastic waist elements 4 and 5 which cooperate with similar elastic side elements 6 and 1 to promote flexibilitysof the garment.

.Theshirtportion 2 may be formed of any suitablecloth fabric .wovenxwith sufficient tightness to'maintain the shape and cut of a front 8 and a back 9: The lower or waist edges [0 and II of'the front and back terminate above the waistline and extend substantially parallel therewith. The side edges l2'| 3 and I4l5 extend upwardly from the terminals of the edges I0 and l l andjoinunder. the arms witharcuate edges ii neck opening 26., One of the straps, for example 2|, may be permanently stitched to the correspondingtabi l of the back but the other shoulder strap is provided with suitable fasten ers such assnaps ll, engageablewith snaps 28 on the shouldertab 25. V

The'pant portion 3 of the garment also .includes a front29 and a backj30. The front and back are'preferablyformed of pieces of fabric cloth 31 32 and .33--34.-

The front. pieces 3 I1and 32 are substantially alike and so shaped to have adjacent edges 35 and 35 joined togetherby suitable stitching 31 at the lower portionsfthereof and their upper portions above the stitching shaped to form lapping flies 38 and 39,secured together by suitable fastening means such as buttons, zippers, or the snaps 40, illustrated in the drawings. The opposite or outer side edges M and 42 align with the sfideedges l2' and'l3 of the front 8, while the upperedges43 terminate short of the waistline to' 'accommoda te the elastic waist section or elein'en't- 4"pr'eviously-mentioned. 'The lower por-' tions of the front pieces are cut at the outer corners on arcs 44 extending from the terminals of the side edges to'form crotch portions 45.

The back pieces are similarly shaped'to provide"'a median seam formed as a continuation of the stitching 31 and side edges 464'I aligning with the side edges 14 and I5 of the back 9. The upper edges terminate short of the lower edge of the back 9 to accommodate the waist element 5 and the lower-portions are cut similarly to the lower portions'of the front pieces to be joined with the crotch portions 45 thereof by suitab stitching indicated at 48. :Thematerials from which the front and back of the shirt and pants portions are formed are dependentiup'on the-character of the suit. For example-a basketball suitordinarily is composed of satin or a similar closely woven fabric, while the corresponding par-ts of other types of play suits, such as baseball suits, swimming suits, unionalls, gym suits and the like, may be formed of softer and more loosely woven material. Combinations of loosely and tightly woven materials may be used, if desired, in order to give the desired service for which a particular garment is constructed. Seldom is there sufficient elasticity in the conventional garments to provide freedom of body movement without causing the garment to bind or draw across the body of the wearer. Consequently, to provide a smartly fitting garment provision is made herein for elasticity in the shirt and pants portions as Well as in the connecting portions thereof.

This is preferably carried out eflectively 'by' -means of the elastic waist and side element's above mentioned.

The waist elements 4 and 5 are preferably formed of knitted material in such a manner as to provide wales or ribs -48 extending in-one direction 'to limit elasticity in that direction 'and to provide elasticity transversely thereof. Since elasticity must be provided inthe garment in a longitudinal or vertical'dire'ction tojprevent'binding of the crotch and limiting muscular movement of the body-aswhen "theathlete .is reaching, bending over, oriotherwise moving the body at the waist, the wales or ribs in the waist elements extend in a direction circumferentially of the waist as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The elastic waist elements have upper and lower edges and BO'Stitch'ed as at 5?! arid 52 to the adjacent edges of the front and back sections oi'the shirt and pants portionsof the garment, the waist elements being of a length corresponding to the width of the cloth forming the shirt portion. The side elements '6 and I are also formed of knitted material with the wales -or ribs 53 extending vertically between the arm openings of the shirt portion and the leg openings of the pants portions, the'side'edges54 and 55 of which are secured to the adjacent side edges of the pants and'shi'rt portions and "to the terminal ends of the front and "back waist "elemerits by li nes 'o'f""stitching 56. v

The side elements thus provide for elasticity of the garment" circumferentially thereof and permit a substantiallytrim fit on the wearer, at the same time cooperating with the "waist .elements inaffor'ding'freedom or'moveme'nt for the wearer. I

Inorder to provide a finish and trim for the garment around'the neck, armand leg openings, 5

the edges are piped with a flexible binding 5-! {securd by a flexible stitching. Forappearance the binding may have a color difiere n-t from the other portions of the garment. I

"The waist and pants portions, -as -well the elastic waist and sideelements may be-ofdifferent colors thereby providing further ornamentation. If desired, the waist porti'on of the completed garment may be provided with a series of loops 58 through which a-belt 59 -or-the likema-y be extended showninFig. l. I I

In applying the garment constructed and assembled as described, the shoulder strap *22 is disengaged fromthe tab =25 and the-wearer steps through the opening formed-by, theneckandleft side arm opening so that the feet and legs pass through the respective leg openings of itherpan'ts portion. The garmentz is :th'en pulled-upwardly overt-lie trunk orsthe 'body soithatithe right arm may be extended through the right arm opening N3 of the garment. The shoulder strap 22 is then secured over the shoulder of the other arm 25 by engaging the snaps 21 and 28.

In case of a basketball suit, it may be desirable to provide the pants portion with hip pads 63 such as shown in Fig. 5, in which case the upper edges of the pads 60 are suspended by means of tapes GI, 62 and 53, the tapes 6| and 63 being attached to the upper'corners of the pad and securedto the adjacent ends of the waist elements 4 and 5 by stitching 66, while the tape 62 is attached at the central portion of the upper edge of the pad and to the elastic side elements by similar stitching as illustrated in Fig. 5. The pads when thus attached hang freely and do not interfere with the elasticity of the garment.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 6, the front and back 65 and 66 of the shirt portion '6! are cut so that the side edges 68 may be joined by seams extending downwardly from the arm openings. "The front and'back of the-pants portion 69"are formed'in thes'a'me manner as the corresponding portions of the dorm of the invention illustrated in Figs. -1 t'o 5 inclusive. The shirt and pants portions'Bl and are joined together by a continuouselastic band I0 extending circumferentially of the waist so as to-provide elasticity across the wales and to limit circumferential elasticityto retain the shape of the garment under movements of the wearer. Circumferential "elasticity is provided in the .pants portion-by-elastic inserts 'H and 12 corresponding to the elastic side elements previously described. Theseinserts have their upper ends '13 secured to the lower'edge of the band 10 as clearly shown in the drawings. This construction provides for freedom of movement of the wearer for the reason that strains in the shirt portion are compensated'for throughbias stretch of the waist band.

While I have particularly illustrated "and described a basketball suit, it is obvious "that the invention is adapted to baseball, swimming and other types of ,play suits without departing 'from the spirit of the invention. I

'From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a one-piece garment or.play suit .especially' adapted for athletic use and which is constructed so that it accommodates itself to move.- ments of the wearer and, yet maintains the trim shape thereof. It is alsoobvious that "the structure particularly adaptsthegarment to various color combinations desired in athletic 'sui-ts.

What I claim and desire to secure :by- Letters Patent is: I I I An'outer garment for wear during playing'of games and adapted to closely fit the wearer without binding includingfrontand backshirtiportions'of anon-elastic fabric extending from the top to the waist of the garment, --spacedstraps connecting said shirt portions forming neck'and arm openings, bindings of knitted fabric around said neck and arm openings, :strips 01 elastic l fabric having vertically arranged wales, the :side

edges of said strips being connected ito'the .side edges :of said-shirt portions, rsaidstrips having substantial elasticity'circum'ferentiallyoi the garmerit, front and back pants portions :tof :,noneias'tic :fabric extending ltrom :the :bottom :of the garmentltoth'e waist thereof; the central portion ofth'e 'lower edges of :said :pants :portion cbeing connected to form a crotch,.'saidrfrorit pantszpov tion having a .tfly :therein, the :lower :edgesaof said pants-portion being cut atltheiside's of the crotch portion to form leg openings, strips of elastic fabric having vertically arranged wales, the side edges of said second named strips being connected to the side edges of said pants portion and having substantial elasticity circumferentially of the garment, an elastic waist strip having circumferentially arranged wales and substantial elasticity across said wales, the side edges of said strip being connected to the upper and 

